Box-stuff-trimming mechanism for planing-machines.



a. A. SMITH. BOX STUFF TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR PLANI NG MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I6, 1915- RENEWED SEPT. 15. 'I9I6.

Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

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GQA. SMITH.

BOX STUFF TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR PLANING MACHINES.

APPLICATIUN FILED FEB. 16. 19-15. RENEWED SEPT. I5, 19

1,2045 1 2. Pate Iit-ed Nov. 14 1916.

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80X STUFF TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR PLANING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l6. l9l5. RENEWED SEPT. 15. 916. 1,204,512. Patented Nov. 14, 1916.

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UNITED I @IATES PATENT @FFICE;

GEORGE ANDBEWS SMITH, OF SOUTH HILL, VIRGINIA.

BOX-STUFF- TRIMMING MECHANISM FOR PLANING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. February 16, 1915, Serial No. 8,594. Renewed September 15, 1916. Serial No. 120,420,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. SMITH, re siding at South Hill, in the county of Mecklenburg and State of Virginia, have invented a new and Improved BoX-Stuif-Trimming Mechanism for Planing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention, which comprlses an improved mechanism, more especially designed for being attached to planing machines and adapted for trimming rough lumber of various predetermined widths, more particularly has reference to certain improvements in that type of box edge trimming and face planing machine disclosed in Patent #918,604, issued to me on April 20, 1909.

In the manufacture of box stuff or shooks after the boards are cut to the desired predetermined widths, it is usual to pile the different width boards into separate stacks and in the operation of dressing, the said boards, in the ordinary way, the adjustable cutter or matcher is manually set to suit the requirements of the particular stack of boards to'be worked; for example, if the boards in the stack are three and one-half inches wide, the matcher is correspondingly set and when the boards in the stack are say, four or more inches wide, the said matcher head is set accordingly. In handling lumber in stacks, as stated, and particularly when the said lumber is to be cut up to provide shooks or box stuff, in stacking, different widths of boards are fre quently piled in the same stack, and hence in running the wide boards through, a needless waste of material occurs. In the patent before referred to means are provided that are set into operative condition and controlled by the board being operated upon for automatically shifting the cutter or matcher head to the desired predetermined positions, or in other words, if a board say, three 'and'three-eighths inches wide is passing to the shiftable cutter head, the latter is automatically set for trimming boards of that particular width and when the boards are, say three'and 'five-eighths inches, the cutter head is correspondingly set. In the manufacture of certain kinds of boxes made up in standard sizes and whose sides, ends, bottom and top sections are made up from a combination of shooks of different .widths, forexample 3%, 3%, 4, 4?}, 4% inches more orless, me chanical nailers are now utilized for-fram- 1ng up and nailing the said box sections, and in the use of such mechanical nailers it is necessary that the several box sections be positively uniform, to meet the requirements of such nailing machines. By reason of the said requirements of mechanical nailers-it is necessary, when cutting up the rough .lumher into boards of different standard widths, that they be sufficiently wider than the standard size to allow for trimming the edge or edges, without reducing the said boards below the said standard widths, for example, to allow for trimming, the boards should be out about one-eighth of an inch wider than the standard width. 7

My present invention, which primarily Patented Nov. it, 19 16.

has for its object to providean improved construction of the cutter head setting and controlling mechanism disclosed in the patent before referred to for positively and accurately trimming the different widths of boards as they are passed to the machine, also has for its object to provide a cutter head setting and controlling means that first shifts the cutter head to an initial position, according to the particular width of board being'operated on, and then shifts the said cutter back to another or final po sition for effecting the trimming of the edge or-edges of the board by cutting off the extra or surplus width portion of the said board. 1

In other words, the invention has for its object to provide a planing machine having a gaging mechanism so constructedthat if the work entering the machine is not of the proper gage, the gaging mechanism will set the cutter so as to plane the work'down to the next smallest standard gage, while if the automatic gaging means establishes the fact that the work entering the machine is of a standard gage, the standard gage work will pass through the cutter machine without any alteration.

My present invention, which includes in a general way, the rotary cam device disclosed in my patent referred to, and whose differential movements are effected by being engaged by boards of diiferent widths, embodies an improved construction and cooperative arrangement of the rotary cam or gage device with the cutter head, whereby a cam or gage device prin'iarily made for being operated only by boards varying in widths from 3%to 5.inches can be manually shifted or set for being operated by boards from to 7 inches or 7 inchesto 9 inches, and so on.

With the above and other objects in View, that will be hereinafter apparent, my present invention embodies the peculiar features of construction and novel arrangement of the parts hereinafter fully explained, specifically pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my'iinproved board trimming mechanism, the parts being at a normal position, a board to be edgetrimmed being shown as passing to the said mechanism. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same taken practically on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrow m. Fig. 3 is a plan view, the board being shown as sufficiently advanced to set the cutter head back'to. its initially adjusted position, the primary latch or de tent device for holding the frame, that carries the shiftable gage and the cutter head, being now positioned for engaging with its cooperating rack to hold the gage and the cutter head to the forwardly shifted position after the gage has been swung forwardly to a predetermined position by the passing board. Fig. t is a vertical section, taken practically on the lines 44 on Fig. 3,

that illustrates more particularly the tripper or detent of a secondary latch for hold ing the cutter or matcher and the gage to their set positions after the tail end of the board passes from engagement with said gage, and the primary detent devices have become released. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section of the said secondary latch mechanism, taken on the line 55 on Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the gage and the rotary cutter head, the primary and secondary latch or detent mechanism being also indicated, the board shown as passing forwardly toward the tripper or dog'of the secondary latch devices to be engaged by the cutter or matcher head, the latter being now in the final or board edge trimming position. Fig. 7 is a detail longitudinal section on the line 77 on Fig. 1, the dogs being shown depressed by the passing board. Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the parts shown on Fig. taken on the line 88 on the said Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on the line9-9 of Fig.2.

Since my invention has reference to the improvements in the gage and the movable cutter or matcher head shifting and controlling means generally disclosed in the patent hereinbefore referred to, I have illustrated only so much of a planing machine necessary to disclose the. operative arrangement of my said improvements, and while I have shown and described a means for trimming one edge of the board only, it is understood that in the practical application of my present invention, a stationarily held matcher head, may be used in connection with the adjustable or shiftable matcher head, the same as shownin the patent referred to.

In the drawings, 1 designates the bed of the main framing at one edge of which is located the fence or fixed guide 2 against which one edge of the board rides as it is fed to the trimming mechanism.

In my present invention, the gage member, that controls the shifting of the movable cutter or matcher head, and which is in the nature of a swinging quadrant cam, and the cutter head are mounted on a yoke frame 3 mounted on a base or head block sup ported by and slidable on a base member 5 pendent from the bed 1 that has T-shaped guide rails 5151 that engage withsimilar shaped grooves 41 in the head block 1, as is clearly shown in Fig. 2, by reference to which and to Fig. 1, it will be noticed the head block 4, while relatively fixedly held with respect to the bed of the machine, is movable transversely of the table, such movement being effected by a hand controlled feed screw 7, of'any approved type, the said block being suitably guided upon a tubular cross rod 6. At this point, it should be stated, that the yoke frame, that carries the gage and the shiftable matcher or cutter head is carried by the head block and is laterally movable with the said head block when it is shifted by the hand screw 7, the purpose of such shifting being hereinafter explained;

The yoke frame 3 includes upper and lower arms 3131 that form bearings for a vertical shaft 8 which extends up through the bed 1 and carries the gage member 10 fixedly held on the upper end thereof and is normally held under tension to turn to the initial position indicated by the arrow 3 by a coiled spring 9 attached to the shaft and the yoke frame (see Fig. 2).

The gage member 10, in my present invention, is in the nature of a quadrant that oscillates with the shaft and whose outer or arc face is serrated, as at 11, and whose innermost edge is rounded as at 11 for the reason hereinafter explained. the gage 10 is positioned as shown in Fig. 1, and it is held from swinging farther backward by a stop 12 engaged by a cam member 51' secured on the shaft 8- (see Fig. 9). In the showing made in the drawings, the gage 1O is'of such length and its shaft is so positioned, that the serrated peripheral edge of the said member is on such an are that it takes in a distance space of say two inches, or in other words, the said face forms'an Normally,

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abutment to be engaged by the outer edge of boards varying in width from three and one-eighth to live and one-eighth inches more or less and at this point, it should be stated, that by reason of shiftably mounting the base or head block 4, in the manner hereinbefore explained, the said head block f can be readily adjusted to shift the gage and the cutter head devices a sufficient distance back to provide for working boards from say, five and one-eighth inches to seven and one-eighth inches, or from seven and one-eighth inches to nine and one-eighth inches, and so on.

Gage 10 and the movable cutter head, that cooperates therewith, have relatively fixed relation, and when the gage is engaged by a board to be trimmed, it, together with the shiftable cutter or matcher head, is moved away from the fence 2, and the guide roller or stationary matcher head) 20, it being understood that the gage is swung forwardly under the pressure of the board to be trimmed, and which in practice is drawn toward the cutter head by the usual feed rolls (not shown).

Yoke frame 3, before referred to, and which carries the gage and the movable cutter head, is normally drawn outwardly in the direction of the fence 2 by a stout spring 19 (see Fig. 9) one end of which connects with the frame and the other end with the head block 1; and to provide for a free movement of the frame, the latter has upper and lower track portions 36-37 that engage a rail member 47 of the base 4; roller bars 38 and bearing balls 39 being also provided for facilitating the free lateral movement of the frame 3, as stated.

By reason of the peculiar construction and arrangement of the parts shown and so far described, the operation of trimming the board and the automatic setting of the movable cutters or matcher head is best explained as follows: In order to explain the method of setting the cutter head to such a position to trim the edge of the box board to a predetermined size, a board measuring three and three-eighths inches is to be run through the machine to be trimmed down to three and one-fourth inches, it being self-explanatory that this latter named dimension is gotten by cutting off the surplus one-eighth of an inch. In the normal position of the machine, such as is indicated in Fig. 2, the peripheries of the gage 10 and of the cutter 25 are in the same longitudinal plane, as is indicated by the line a in Fig. 1, this correlation being necessary to the gaging of the cutting devices with relation to the edge of the board to be trimmed. The shafts 8 and 25 of the gage 10 and cutter 25 are also in the same longitndinal plane, as indicated by line- Z, this latter plane, 6., that of the shafts of gage and cutter, do not alter laterally but the plane of the peripheries of the gage and cutter indicated by line a, do alter laterally and in a manner presently made clear. Upon presentation of the board A against the serrated edge of the gage 10, the board moving in the direction of arrow B, motion is imparted to the gage mechanism both rotatably in the direction of arrow C and laterally in the direction of arrow D, this latter movement being accounted for by the fact that the incoming board strikes the arc face of the gage at one'side and in traversing under the said gage moves it as explained a distance equal to the chord of the arc. While this is accomplished, the circumference of the gage 10 will ride on the edge of the board, as shown in Fig. 3, and at the same time the gage will have rotated on its shaft until its rounded edge has passed the transverse center line. As stated, the board in its travel, imparts movement in the direction of arrows C and 1); when this latter .iovement is taking place, the gage and cutter move over as a unit since their shafts are held in the yoke 3 and as the gage moves over its latch 54 will be positioned oppositely to the rack 55-to a lateral dis tance equal to the displacing dimension of the board which in this instance is threeeighths of an inch or a notch and one-half, as indicated in Fig. 3, each notch representing a distance of one-fourth of an inch.

During the turning of the gage 10 from the position shown in Fig. 1, to that shown in Fig. 3, the cam 51, fixedly held on the gage shaft 8 was also turned but when the position in Fig. 3 was reached, the roller 53 of the latch 54: partly dropped into the de-. pression 52 on the face of the cam 51, permitting the latch to engage one of the teeth on the rack 55. Up to this time the plane a of the peripheries of both gage and cutter is undisturbed, but in the turning of the shaft 8 in the direction of arrow C and moving over of the yoke frame 3 in the direction of arrow D, tension was stored in both spring 9 and 19 which now tend to restore both parts to the normal or starting position, which, however, is not yet to be accompli shed since the board is present to prevent.

Now as the board continues to travel in the direction of the arrow B, it is still in frictional contact with the edge 11 of the gage 10, and since the spring 19 is exerting a pull tension on the yoke frame 3 to restore it to its forwarder normal position, it follows, that by reason of the gage 10 being still held in frictional contact with the passing board, additional rotational movement is imparted to the said gage to cause the yoke frame 3 that carries the gage and the cutter to move backward in the direction of the movement of the frame 3, as the board board engaging edge 11 has remained in the position shown in Fig. 3 and out of the alinement indicated'a, with the cutter as is presently more fully explained. Now that this additional rotation of the gage 10 has I taken place, and the parts reached the position shown in Fig. 6, the latch 54 and the yoke frame 3-and its carried parts having dropped back against the tooth 55 the plane (a of the peripheries of both gage and cutter, which formerly were longitudinally homologous, have now altered laterally by reason of the dropping back of the yoke frame 3 when the latch 54 dropped back into the rack, this distance of drop back representing the amount of wood which will be trimmed from the board since the drop back extended the cutting edge of the cutter beyond the plane a. into the path of the oncoming board, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6, and the trimming function is now about to commence, it being understood that as long as the board is traveling under both gage and cutter the parts remain in the position shown in Fig. 6, but as soon as the end of the board disengages the edge of the gage 10, the same will quickly return to the other extremity of its axial position, being thus impelled by the stored energy in its spring 9 (see Fig. 2) the said return being limited by the stop cam 51 striking the stop 12.

For holding the frame 3' with its carried parts to its finally set position after latch 54. is released, I have provided a secondary latch mechanism, the construction of which is best shown in Figs. 1, 7 and 8, by reference tovvhich it will be seen that situated in the path of the incoming board and located below the table top 1 is a bell crank shaped member, one end of whichconstitutes a dog 61 that is normally projected up through the top 1 to be engaged by the board and whose other end forms a latch 62 for engaging with a rack 63, that is a duplicate of rack 55 of the primary latch mechanism, it being clear that normally the latch 62 is out of engage ment with the said rack 63 (see Fig. 4). A rod 65 connects the dog 61, which is located in advance of the axis of the rotary cutter, with another dog 66 located beyond the said cutter axis, the said last named dog being provided for holding the latch 62 in the rack 63 after the tail end of the board passes beyond the dog 61.

From the foregoingdescription taken in connection with the drawings, the complete construction, the manner of operation and the advantages of my invention are readily apparent.

It is to be noticed that in my present improved mechanism, the cutter or matcher head is initially set relatively to the fence or the stationarily held matcher head, by the incoming board to suit the width of the said incoming board, and after it is thus set, and while the board is continuing on its way to the cutters, the shiftable cutter or matcher head is automatically moved back in position for shaving or finishing the edge or edges without in the slightest reducing the width of the board being operated on beyond the standard width.

The advantages in making the shooks in absolute uniform sizes will the more fully appear when it is considered that in the present method of framing up the box sections, to form the sides, ends and tops, by assembling a multiple of different Width boards to make sections of uniform width, the defective width boards are rejected, since when the sections are placed on the nailing machine, unless they are absolutely uniform as to size, a perfect nailing of the box sections cannot be had.

iVhile I have indicated the surplus width of the different sizes of boards to be reduced to the standard sizes, as one-eighth of an inch, it is obvious that my improved machine, as shown and described, will reduce, that is to say,trim the different widths of the boards, of any given width that comes within the distance of anyone of the gaging teeth of the rack 55, since the final setting or reactionary movement of the cutter is such that it drops back a suflicient distance toward the fence to reduce the work being dressed to the next smaller dimension of the rack scale, and at this point, it should be also mentioned that should a piece of work (the board) entered into the machine be of any of the standard sizes, it will pass through the machine without being trimmed by the cutter.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with suitable guiding devices and a shiftable cutter; of automatic means for shifting said cutter into alinement with one edge of the work, automatic means for fixing the cutter'at any one of a series of positions according to a predetermined scale, tiere being provision for relative movement between the cutter and parts of said automatic shifting means permitting said cutter to shift back toward the line of work from any position between the scale determined position irrespective of the said parts of the shifting means whereby if the pieces of work supplied accord to the measures of said scale, the cutter will be adjusted out of operative engagement, but if they do not so accord, said cutter will be adjusted tn final trimming position, means for arresting the reactionary movement of said frame and cutter head at a predetermined place, and other means for retaining said frame in its finally set position until the board operated upon has passed the cutter head.

3. In a board dressing machine; a rotary cutter head, a bodily shiftable frame on which'said cutter head is mounted, board controlled means for shifting said frame to a primary position with the cutter head beyond its trimming position, means for producing a reactionary shifting movement of said frame to. bring the cutter head to the final trimming position, means for arresting the reactionary movement of said frame and cutter head at a predetermined place, other means for retaining said frame in its finally set position until the board operated upon has passed the cutter head, said frame arresting means inclpding a latching device having a limited free movement to allow for the reactionary movement of the frame and cutter head.

a. In a board dressing machine; a fixed guide or fence, a frame bodily adjustable toward or from the fence, a cutter mounted on the frame, means controlled by the passing board to be dressed that moves the frame to first shift the cutter head into alinement with that edge of the passing board 'tobe dressed, automatic means for shifting the cutter back a predetermined distance in back of the edge of the board to be dressed and automatic means controlled by the passing board for holding the cutter to its board dressing position so long as the board is in engagement with the cutter.

5. In a board dressing machine, a fixed guide or fence, a frame, means for setting the frame at difierent predetermined distances from the fence or guide, a cutter mounted on and movable with the frame, means controlled by the passing board to be dressed that moves the said frame after it has been set to a predetermined position to shift the cutter into alinement with that edge of the board to be dressed, automatic means for shifting the said frame backward to move the cutter in the direction of the fence or gage to a predetermined position to effect the cut and automatic means controlled by the passing board for holding the frame and the cutter to the last mentioned position as the board is being dressed.

y 6. In a machine for dressing boards; the

- combination with a stationary guide for one edge of the board to be operated on, a rotary cutter head, a bodily shiftable frame on which the said head is mounted, a board controlled means mounted upon the said frame for shifting said frame to primarily set the cutter head beyond a trimming position; means for effecting a reactionary shifting action of the said frame, to bring the. cutter to a predetermined position for trimming the board, the said board controlled means including a latch device for holding the frame and the cutter head to its final setting and which releases before the final trimming of the passing board, a secondary latch device operated also by the passing board for holding the said cutter head at its final set position after the first latch device is released, a support on which the said bodilymovable frame is mounted, and means for adjusting the said support to set the cutter and its board controlled operating mechanism at different predetermined positions relatively to'the fixed guide for one edge of the board.

7. In a board dressing machine; a bed frame, a fence or guide at one side of the bed for engaging with one edge of the board to be dressed, a head block mounted on the bed frame and laterally adjustable relatively to'the fence or guide, a frame carried by the head block and bodily shiftable thereon to and from the aforesaid guide, a rotary cutter head carried by the slidable frame, means mounted upon the said frame controlled by the board to be operated on for shifting the frame to primarily set the rotary c'utter head beyond its trimming position, other means for shifting the frame for moving the rotary cutter head to a predetermined trimming position after it has been set to the initial position, and automatic means for fixing the slidable frame when the cutter is set to its trimming position. v

8. In a machine for dressing boards, the combination with a guide for one edge of the board to be operated on, a frame, a cutter that opposes the guide mounted on and movable with theframe, means for automatically moving the frame to a predetermined position to bring the cutter to the board edge dressing position, said means incutter at the proper trimming position, latch and the cam are returned to their no-r means for automatically restoring the cam mal position.

the board passes from engagement With the x and the latch to the normal position when GEORGE ANDREWS SMITH.

d eam, and means controlled by the passing l/Vitnesses:

board for holding the cutter and the frame B. W. COPLE to the trimming position after the aforesaid D. M. TURNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 7 Washington, D. G. 

